Simulated lace article



Dec. 15, 1931. A. E. VAN MELLE SIMULATED LACE ARTICLE Filed Oct. 31, 1930 INVENTOR m uq 4/7571 ATTORNEY ticles.

Patented Dec. 15, 1931 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE ANDRE E. VANmLE, OI G HENT, I BELGIUM, ASSN-NOR, BY MESNE ASSIGNMENTS, '.|'.'O PACKAGE PAI'EB COMIPANY, 'OF HOLYOKE, MASSACHUSETTS, A CORPORATION OF MASSACHUSETTS snmm'rnn men narrow Application filed October 31, 1980. Serial No. 482,488.

This invention relates to a lace-like article of manufacture and more particularly to a product realistically simulating the appearance of genuine lace or other needlewor ar- An object of the invention is to produce a simulated lace having the characteristic appearance of enuine lace.

Another 0 ject is the production of various articles formed of such simulated lace.

A further object is the production of a simulated lace and articles made therefrom having the appearance of real lace, by a method WhlCh may be easily and economically carried out.

Yet another object is the production of a simulated lace which is grease-proof and moisture-proof, which is well adapted to resist penetration of moisture or grease from wet or greasy articles placed thereon, and the cost of which is so small that it can be thrown away after being once used.

Other objects of the/invention will in part be obvious and will in part appear hereinafter,

The invention accordingly comprises a product possessin the features, roperties, and the relation 0 components whlch will be exemplified in the product hereinafter described and the scope of the application of which will be indicated in the claims.

, For a fuller understanding of the nature and objects of the invention, reference should be had to the following detailed description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which;

ple by the stamping of perforated and/or.

embossed patterns from paper. Such imitations are quite unlike genuine lace in appearance and are not amenable to the use of delicate patterns, difiiculty being experienced in the stamping of fine threads and small openings or interstices. Also, being perforate and being made of pervious paper, such articles cannot resist the penetration of grease or moisture that is possible with the product about to be described.

In accordance with the present invention, simulated lace is formed by imposing an opaque, or substantially opaque lace pattern on a sheet of transparent material, preferably a sheet made of regenerated cellulose, sometimes known as transparent cellulose paper. This material, because of its transparency and its imperviousncss to moisture, grease and the like, is admirably suited for use as a ground material on which to print lace patterns.

A preferred method of forming the design printed in white or in any color or combination of colors. 7

Referring more particularly to the drawings and especially to Fig. 1, there is shown a simulated lace-like article made in the manner described above and in the form of a doily or center-piece, comprising a transparent ground material 10, having a lace design generally designated at 11, disposed thereon. This article is an actual lace. pattern and, because of the transparency of the interstices in the pattern, has the appearance of the real lace from which it is copied. This close resemblance to real lace is especially marked when the doily or other article is placed against a dark or contrasting back-,

terstices, which comprise the unprinted por-' tions of the transparent ound material,

' structure and inherent imperviousness, is also admirably fitted for use as a doily u on which wet or greasy glasses, dishes an the hke may be placed without harm to the underlying furniture. As illustrated, the transparent ground material is trimmed so that the edges thereof ap roximate or, if desired, closely follow the bounding edges of the lace design. Due to the transparency of the cellulose sheet, perfect accuracy in trimming the sheet to the boundary edges of the design is not necessary, since the transparent sheet is ractically invisible when placed upon atale This avoids the necessity of preparmg expensive trimming dies and for registering the dies with great accuracy with the printing on the sheet. In practice, as stated above, the ground material is trimmed so that its edges approximate but do not follow in all detail the bounding edges of the lace design, leaving a transparent margin which is not noticeable in use.

Fig. 2 illustrates another adaptation wherein the simulated lace is made in the form of a strip, it being generally useful in this form as a lace edging.

It will be'seen that this invention provides a simulated lace having the actual appearance of genuine'lace, but which is comparatively cheap and subject to widespread use. An important aspect of the invention resides in the ability to make generally available rare and historic old patterns, the present enjoyment of which is necessarily limited.

Since certain changes may be made in the above article of manufacture and different embodiments of the invention could be made without departing from its scope, it is intended that all matter contained in the above description shall be interpreted as illustrative and-not in a limiting sense.

It is also to be understood that the follow: ing claims are intended to cover all of the eneric and specific features of the invention .erein described, and all statements of the scope of the invention which, as a matter of language, might be said to fall therebetween.

Having described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is: v

1. A simulated lace-like article capable of use as a table covering or the like, comprising a flexible transparent ground sheet and a relatively opaque lace-like design printed thereon.

' 2. A simulated lace-like article capable of use as a table covering or the like, comprising a flexible transparent ground sheet of moisture and grease-proof cellulosic material and a relatively opaque lace-like design printed thereon.

3. A simulated lace-like article capable of use as a table covering or the like, comprising an imperforate trans arent flexible sheet having printed thereon in relatively opaque ink a esign simulating an actual iece of decorative lace, the transparency of t he sheet giving to the interstices of the desi the appear ance of openings throu h the ace.

4. A simulated laceike article capable of use as a table covering or the like comprising an imperforate trans arent flexible sheet having printed thereon in relatively opa ue ink a esign simulatin an actual piece of ecorative lace, the sheet eing trimmed to a proximate but not to follow in all detail the ounding edges of the lace design the transparency of the sheet rendering the interstices of the design and the marginal portions of the sheet beyond the bounding edges of the design substantially invisible when in use, the interstices of the design having the appearance of openings through the lace and the apparent boundary of the article being the bounding edges of the lace design.

5. A method of making a simulated lacelike article capable of use as a table covering or the like which comprises preparing a photographic reproduction of lace, preparing a printin plate from said photograph, and printi g rom said printing plate upon a sheet of transparent flexible material in relatively opaque ink.

In testimony whereof I afiix my signature.

ANDRE E. VANMELLE. 

